Nuclear weapon flash protection garment



May l2, 1964 D. R. LANGDoN NUCLEAR WEAPON FLASH PROTECTION GARMENT Filed Dec. 5, 1961 Adhes/'ve Rd n mm, M ma m VL T WDM. A

P/as//c 0r paper United States Patent 3,132,344 NUCLEAR WEAPON FLASH PROTECTION GARMENT Donald R. Langdon, 1412 Vega Drive, Mobile 9, Ala., assignor of fifty percent to Oliver E. Gibson, Mobile,

Ala.

Filed Dec. S, 1961, Ser. No. 157,175 4 Claims. (Cl. 21)

This invention relates to a nuclear weapon flash protection garment, and has for an object to provide an improved garment that can completely enclose an individual wearer to protect the wearer from the blinding light flash, and attendant thermal radiation, of a nuclear weapon when he is in the area sufficiently beyond ground zero so as not to be subject to overwhelming pressure and lethal doses of initial radiation, but is still within the arca where he would be subject to severe and otherwise possibly fatal burns from the flash oflight from the nuclear explosion, as well as thereafter, from heat reflected or emitted by burning buildings in the area.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a flash protection garment which is extremely light weight and can be readily carried and readily placed in operative position about the wearer within a very few seconds, if necessary, after the warning of imminent attack but before the detonation.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a flash protection garment which may be folded into a very compact package and be kept easily accessible in oncs pocket or elsewhere, and can be quickly put in operative position in an emergency so as to minimize the effects of thermal radiation and attendant flash burns.

This invention consists of an envelope, bag or garment, the exterior surface of which is highly reflective, such as aluminum foil or similar lustrous metallic foil, of sufl`- cient size to completely enclose the entire body. lts construction is intended to be such, that it can be folded into a small pack, approximately the size of a pack of cigarettes, in order that it may be conveniently carried in a coat or shirt pocket or purse, or stowed in an automobile, desk drawer, or other readily accessible place; ln the event of imminent nuclear attack, personnel who could not deploy themselves to suitable shelter could immediately don the reflector garment and take refuge in any ditch or depression, or even lie prone in an open arca. The reflective properties of the garment would minimize` the effects of thermal radiation and attendant flash burns. If the subsequent shock wave should damage the garment, it still would have served its primary purpose, because after the rst live seconds, and prior to incidence of the shock wave, at distances greater than three miles from ground zero, the thermal radiation would have subsided to tolerable levels. t i

With the above and related objects in View, the present invention consists in the details of construction and eombination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is an elevational view of the nuclear weapon flash protection garment of this invention, partly in section. v

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the garment window, on an enlarged scale on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

PIG. 4 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale on line 4 4 of FIG. l. v

There is shown at the nuclear weapon flash protection garment of this invention as consisting of a tubular bag having a cylindrical side wall 12 closed at one end at 14 and open at its other end as at 16. This bag is made 3,132,344 Patented May 12, 1964 ice lside wall 12 and end wall 14 will be such that it can be readily folded into a very compact package, possibly the size of a package of cigarettes, and be readily carried in a pocket or kept in a closely accessible position for a sudden emergency,

Near the end wall 14 there is provided a window opening 24 covered by a transparent plastic window 26, preferably o'f suitable heat resistant material, and the same type of lustrous aluminum foil used on the outer surface of the bag 10 as at 18 is likewise used as at 28, and is loosely adhered to the inner surface of the transparent flexible window 26 so as to remain in flash protecting position thereon until after the atomic flash has subsided,

whereupon the wearer may pecl it away from the window when evacuating the area.

Secured to the inner lining 20 of the bag 10 in suitable locations are a plurality of tie means such as very light weight ribbons 30 and 32, these ribbons 30 and 32 being adhered to the inner paper or plastic lining 20 by means of similar patches of material at 34 and 36, the' patches 34 being'located at waist height for the wearer, while the patches 36 are located adjacent the open bottom at about ankle height for the wearer.

In operation, in an emergency, the garment 10 can be quickly moved from a conveniently accessible' place, opened up and drawn downwardly over the head of the wearer and about his body and have the open end 16 contact the floor or ground, sufficient air being entrapped thcrcwithin to support life of the wearer for the few minutes necessary until after the flash and until after the thermal radiation has subsided to tolerable levels.

Then, in order to evacuate the arca, the wearer, within the bag, may peel the window cover 28 away from the transparent plastic window 26 so that he can sce his way around and permit light to enter within the bag, and then tie the tie cords 30 about his waist and the tie cords 32 about his ankles, thus permitting him to walk and yet maintain thepgarmcnt in protective position about himsel-f, protecting him against heat reflected from nearby burning buildings while he walks away therefrom to a safer area.

Obviously, it will afford some degree of protection from radioactive fallout particles and dust while evacuating the area, in addition to shielding the wearer from thermal radiation, for which it is primarily intended. lt

v would also be useful in preventing liquid droplets of chemical agents from coming in contact with the skin of the wearer in the event of a gas attack.

Other desirable uses may also be found for such a garment, such as in entering or evacuating a burning building in an emergency.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scopc'of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A nuclear weapon flash protection garment compris ing a tubular bag closed at one end and open at the opposite end, of a size to be readily draped over a wearer, said bag comprising flash reflecting vlustrous aluminum foil, a flexible lining reinforcing said foil, tie means secured to said bag and extending thercwithin for securing said bag to the wearer, a transparent flexible plastic window in said bag, and a removable lustrous aluminum foil window cover on the inner surface of said transparent window.

2. The garment of claim 1, said reinforcing lining being plastic material.

3. The garment of claim 1, said reinforcing lining being paper.

4. A nuclear weapon flash protection garment comprising a body-enveloping flexible bag open only at one end, said bag being of flash rellecting lustrous aluminum foil, and an innerreinforcing lining for said foil, a transparent plastic window in said bag, a cover on said window rcmovable from within said bag, said window cover being flash reflecting lustrous aluminum foil loosely adhered to the inner surface of said transparent plastic window, and

tie means secured to the inner sulface of said bag for securing the bag to the body and legs of the wearer.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,227 Peppard Aug. 15, 1899 1,256,818 Nile Feb. 19, 1918 2,105,018 Tatter Jan. 1l, 1938 2,397,009 Hurley et al. Mar. 19, 1946 2,478,765 Kim Aug. 9, 1949 2,627,072 Frommelt et al Feb. 3, 1953 2,649,584 Chappell Aug. 25, 1953 2,676,319 Davidson et al. Apr. 27, 1954 2,678,444 Howerton May 18, 1954 

1. A NUCLEAR WEAPON FLASH PROTECTION GARMENT COMPRISING A TUBULAR BAG CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT THE OPPOSITE END, OF A SIZE TO BE READILY DRAPED OVER A WEARER, SAID BAG COMPRISING FLASH REFLECTING LUSTROUS ALUMINUM FOIL, A FLEXIBLE LINING REINFORCING SAID FOIL, TIE MEANS SECURED TO SAID BAG AND EXTENDING THEREWITHIN FOR SECURING SAID BAG TO THE WEARER, A TRANSPARENT FLEXIBLE PLASTIC WINDOW IN SAID BAG, AND A REMOVABLE LUSTROUS ALUMINUM FOIL 